Sibling Wars: The Battle for the Throne
by Ascoeur
Summary: The story's not over yet. The remaining siblings are still out there, each one yearning for the throne and power, and with those tainted ambitions, Hime's faction is far from safe. What of the alliance? Who will emerge triumphant? Hime X Hiro Reiri X Riza
1. Princess Outcast

It was an eerie night, as it had always commonly been in the surrounding vicinity of Hime's mansion. After having been released from school, Hiro excruciatingly began the climb up the hill leading to the mansion, the place he started to call "home" the moment he died and became Hime's immortal warrior. After a few minutes, he arrived at the worn-out, iron gates. He slowly opened them and soon walked past the withering flowers of the front yard to the most gigantic doors that led to the interior of the large building, he still found it amazing how easy and light the doors were to open in contrast to their size. He found Riza vigorously polishing the stair railing the moment he stepped in.

Riza kept at it until she felt someone's eyes on her. She lifted her gaze over to Hiro's direction. "Ah, Hiro, welcome back. How was school?" she asked energetically, never stopping the movement of her hand on the railing.

"A-ah, it was fine," Hiro answered nervously as he scratched the back of his head, holding his school bag with the other hand. That was just his nature. "What are you doing, Riza-san?"

"Well, I figured that since I'm just a homeless person whom Hime has taken in "—she suddenly raised her voice, loud enough for anyone, or everyone, in the entire mansion to hear—"I might as well contribute to the well-being of this place and not slack off like a freeloader who sleeps all the freaking day!"

"Please keep it down up there, lack of sleep is an enemy to natural beauty," a carefree, yet elegant, voice soon followed in response from the mansion's basement.

"Get your lazy butt up here before I get down there and drag you out of that coffin myself!" Riza roared, kicking the floor multiple times in repetition.

Not too long after that, Reiri came in dejectedly hovering from somewhere along the right of the stairs. She was covered in what seemed little white pieces of dust. She had missed school today, but it was not a very surprising since every student, including her fan club, had gotten used to her frequent absences. Sighing in disdain, she said to Riza, "Thanks to your childish rampage up here, little bits of debris came off the ceiling and dirtied me…"

"Stop your complaining and take this," Riza said, shoving a broom into Reiri's hands.

"You're still going to be the one to fix my ceiling, since it was your fault in the first place," Reiri said, getting a good grip on the broom.

"It was yours for slacking!" Riza retorted.

"But it's too early for me to get up~" Reiri said, yawning.

"It's five in the afternoon!"

Hiro contently watched as the two argued. He knew they got along much better than they appeared to, and their pride just got in the way. Soon after, his older sister appeared at the top left of the stairs, holding a tray with rare tea and luxurious cups. She found Hiro waving at her; had it not been for the silver tray she was holding, she would have waved back. Instead, she just smiled.

"Hiro," she called with lively cheerfulness as she stepped down the stairwell. "Oujo-sama requests your presence immediately…or else... That is what she said."

Hiro tentatively nodded and hurriedly made his way up the stairs to Hime's room, or at least the room where she spent most of the time in. He opened the doors and found Hime's slim figure calmly sipping tea before the window, the sun beginning to set. He thought she looked like a portrait, and hoped that she would remain in that position for a little while longer, just so that he could marvel at it.

"Fuga," Flandre, who stood by Hime's side, greeted Hiro as he proceeded to closing the door.

"Hiro," Hime began, delicately setting her cup of tea upon the table. "The effects of my blood are dissipating, aren't they?"

"Y-yes," Hiro answered guardedly, managing a tighter grip on his bag pack.

Hime allowed an enigmatic smirk to form upon her lips. "Flandre, hand me that knife over there," she ordered.

Flandre didn't hesitate to grab the butter knife that Hime had used in the morning. Strangely, that was the only utensil that Sawawa had left untouched. The moment she received the knife, Hime cut her index finger and blood began to drip from it, bits blood falling on the carpeted floor and staining it.

"Don't just stand there, Hiro," Hime said. "Royal blood is not to be wasted."

Hiro ran awkwardly over to where Hime resided, dropping his school bag midway, and kneeled before her, right beneath her hand. He let her blood fall into his mouth and land on his tongue, but he was careful not to make any actual contact with Hime's hand itself.

Hiro wiped his mouth after he was done replenishing of his life, and Flandre handed Hime a Hello Kitty band-aid.

"Flandre, a normal band-aid would have done just fine," Hime said, her temple popping out a bit.

"Fuga," Flandre said, nodding.

Someone knocked on the door.

"You may enter," Hime said grandly.

Reiri and Riza stepped in--Riza wore a frown, and Reiri the usual scowl.

"Hime-sama," Reiri whined, closing her eyes, "how much longer do I have to put up with this dog?"

"I should be the one to ask that," Riza snapped, closing the door behind her.

"Severin has died, but that does not mean that any of us are safe," Hime explained calmly, she had gathered everyone she needed. "Reiri: you've been banned from the vampire circle ever since you cooperated with Riza to save Hiro. They destroyed your church and therefore you've come to live here"

"Sorry," Hiro muttered, ashamed of his own weakness.

"Riza: you're here to avenge your brother's death, and the culprit is one of my siblings. But you have not found that person just yet; therefore you're waiting for them here. Not to mention, you're a half-breed."

Riza leaned on the wall and nodded stubbornly.

"Hiro: you're my immortal warrior, and Sawawa brought you here in the first place."

Hiro was a little disappointed to hear that, he didn't get a long reason like Riza and Reiri. And to add to that, he was paired up with his sister. So was he considered just part of a set?

"Flandre: she's my gynoid."

Well, at least Flandre's was shorter.

"Do any of you find a chain of connection here?" Hime queried, eyeing everyone inquiringly.

"W-what do you mean?" Riza asked, scratching the side of her face in contemplation.

Reiri put her thinking cap on and remained silent. Hiro just looked around, as if to find the answer somewhere in the room. Flandre's facial expression didn't change, so one couldn't quite tell what was going on in her mind.

"Hmph," Reiri grunted, getting everyone's attention. "Hime-sama, we're all outcasts, aren't we?"

"Exactly," Hime said, clasping her hands together in front of her, setting her elbows on the table.

Riza and Hiro were no Sherlocks, so Flandre tried to explain. "Fuga fuga fuga, fuga fuga fuga fuga fuga. Fuga fuga fuga, fuga fuga fuga, fuga."

"It is just as Flandre said," Hime said perceptively.

"Oh, I understand now," Riza said, grinning. "Flandre, you're very articulate!"

"Eto…" Hiro was still left out in the cold.

"I've been banned from the vampire circle, Riza is a half-breed, Hime-sama's from the demon realm, Flandre is an android, Hiro, you're not even human anymore, and Sawawa"—Reiri paused—"well, she was abnormal from the beginning."

_Yes, my sister is one of a kind, _Hiro thought, a little embarrassed. "But I think I get it now…"

"But what does this have to do with anything?" Riza asked.

"Riza, do you enjoy being an outcast?" Hime suddenly asked.

Riza was caught off guard. "Well, I don't exactly enjoy it, but I don't like it, either. Everyone treats me like trash," she admitted, looking somewhere else to avoid Hime's all-knowing, piercing gaze.

"One of my siblings has been defeated, only six remain, Sherwood and myself included," Hime continued. "The siblings in the royal family and their factions are all outcasts."

"What are you trying to say, Hime?" Hiro asked cautiously.

"Just as Riza hates being an outcast, so do they," she replied. "Therefore, the only way to find their place again, is to fight the others and obtain their rightful throne. Of course, I couldn't care less about who gets the throne. I don't fight for authority, I fight to stay alive."

Hiro was in awe, Hime was indeed someone intriguing and worthy of admiration. More than once he had seen her fight, with grace and valor, never flinching—that was his one and only mistress, and he felt nothing but utter respect for her, or at least that's what he told himself after the little kiss-slap incident. Anyhow, if Hiro were to have a say in all this, then Hime would be the rightful ruler of the demon realm.

"Hiro"—Hime's voice snapped him back into reality—"what are you doing standing there like an idiot?"

Hiro looked around and noticed that everyone was gone, except for Flandre. Apparently, he had zoned out at the last part of Hime's beautiful speech—if there even _was_ one.

"I-I'm sorry, I missed what you said," Hiro apologized.

Hime sighed in exhaustion. "I said that we will continue to live our lives here in this city without disruption, and if my siblings wish to engage in battle, then they shall be the ones to come to me."

"Ah, y-yes!" Hiro bowed and left the room. He then realized he left his bag in Hime's room and returned, grabbed it, bowed again, and left…again.

"That Hiro…" Hime said in dejection, though her features soon changed afterward, into a callous one. "But he is the one who holds the most potential."

"Fuga" was all Flandre said, standing right beside her.

"We have to end this battle before I become an adult," Hime said in a serious tone, gazing at the last blinding portion of the setting sun that was left.

"Fuga," replied Flandre.

Hime took a hold of Flandre's right hand and pressed her opposing thumb, the gynoid's expression remained that of a clueless one, as if it had not felt anything.

"This recording session is now over," Hime finally said, and let go of Flandre's thumb.

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"Ah, Riza-san," Hiro called as he walked down the stairs, having come upon Riza, who was now done with polishing the stair railings and supervising Reiri's brooming. Sawawa was dusting.

"Oh, what's up, Hiro?" Riza asked, and then turned back to Reiri's direction. "Hey, you missed a spot!"

"Y-you're lucky you're one of Hime's subordinates, or else I'd be whacking you with this broom right now!" Reiri said angrily, her brooming becoming faster and more ravenous.

"Riza-san, I've been wondering for a while now," Hiro said casually. "Why is it that you, Hime, Reiri-san, and Onee-sama wear the same thing every day? Do you do your laundry every single day? Or is it a girl thing?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Hmph," someone let out a malevolent chuckle. Hiro turned around to find Hime at the top of the stairs, a malicious grin plastered upon her face. "Would you care to know, Hiro?"

Hiro's lower lip quivered. "F-forget I asked!" he said, running past Hime and toward his room at lightning speed.

"Pity," Hime said, feigning ruefulness. "Then it'll remain a secret."


	2. Princess Telepathy

Morning had arrived and Hiro had woken up early for school. After eating breakfast, brushing his teeth, changing into his uniform, and retrieving his school bag, he was all set to go. He walked down the stairs and back into the kitchen again to bid a 'good day' to his sister; he didn't bother to go to Hime since she would probably kick him out of the room the instant he got through the threshold, or she would probably be probably asleep. He was accustomed to finding Riza and Sawawa around this time in the mornings, but today Reiri had decided to join them. She was drinking tomato juice, leaning on the counter, while Riza was devouring bacon, scrambled eggs, and some hot dog buns. His sister was doing the dishes nearby, humming a little tune to herself.

"Ara, good morning, Hiro," said Reiri pleasantly.

"Yo, Hiro" was Riza's greeting, before she returned her attention to the meal at hand.

"Ah, g-good morning," said Hiro, taken aback. He was more concerned about Reiri's presence in the room, certainly not expecting to see her until late in the afternoon. "Um, are you attending school today, Reiri-san?"

"There's nothing to do here," Reiri said, crushing her juice box, sighing. "Plus today seems to be quite a promising one for me."

She finished her sentence by beckoning to the windows. Hiro followed her gaze and saw that the skies were cloudy and the sun's rays made few holes in the floating, gray cotton. Hiro was quickly dispirited; he enjoyed the waves of heat that accompanied him in his long walk to school, always giving him some sort of encouragement, though with global warming and all, maybe this _was _promising. Even so, he sighed.

"Hiro, here's your lunch box," said his sister, handing him a rigid, metal container.

"Ah, thanks, Onee-sama," said Hiro, animated once again; the stuff his sister made was always delicious.

His sister gave him the usual boobful hug and told him to take care of himself on his way to school, telling him that there are irresponsible bikers riding on the hill's road, at which Riza sipped her drink nonchalantly. Reiri threw her distorted juice box away, grabbed her bag, swished her hair gracefully, and linked arms with Hiro, suavely pulling him to the exit.

"We're leaving now," Reiri yelled out before closing the door.

Hiro and Reiri walked side by side, striking up some friendly conversation to cast aside the silence that was amounting. They commented on the various sceneries they came across before arriving at school. They parted ways at the gate, since Hiro didn't want to be seen with the school's idol, and get beaten for it afterwards. Not to mention, Reiri was his Senpai.

Once in class, Hiro earnestly jotted down the notes his teacher scrawled on the board as he spoke. The instructor then called upon a male student in the class, asking him a question which concerned the material they had previously covered. All eyes were on the fidgeting student.

"So, what is the answer, Tashimaya-kun?" he questioned.

"Um… ah…er…," the student struggled, looking around to see if he'd get some hints from his friends. "W-wait, it's on the tip of my tongue! Uh…"

_**Ugh, another blubbering idiot…**_

_Eh?_ Hiro thought. _Where did that voice come from?_

The student continued to dwell in the pinch he'd found himself in as the teacher continued to watch him with more than faint distaste.

_**I don't know why I even bother to teach these kids, anymore…**_

Hiro heard the voice again, and then singled out the instructor at the front of the room as the only possible origin. Who else is teaching this class, after all? _That voice, is it his? _Hiro wondered.

In the end, the student wasn't able to find the correct reply and everyone had to stay in class for ten minutes extra after the lunch bell chimed. Once the ten minutes were up, the students scurried off to lunch, but Hiro was the only one that remained seated.

"Um, do you need something, Hiyorimi-kun?" the instructor asked as he packed his things.

"N-no, I just wanted to say that today's class was really interesting," Hiro said, standing up and grabbing his lunchbox.

_**Well, at least there's one good apple in this bunch of rotten ones…**_

_There it is again,_ Hiro thought guardedly.

"Thanks, now go to the cafeteria and get something to eat, boy," the instructor said before leaving the room.

Hiro found Reiri tediously staring out the window as she drank her tomato juice, her head resting on her palm while leaning on her elbow. When she turned her head, she spotted Hiro and waved at him, earning envious looks from most of the boys within sight. He sat down and set his lunch box on the table.

_**Who does he think he is? **_

_**Sitting with Reiri-san like that…**_

_**Someone should teach him a lesson.**_

_**He's not even in the fan club!**_

_**How dare he?**_

_**What does Reiri-san see in him?**_

"R-Reiri-san, are you sure this is fine?" Hiro asked nervously. "I mean, to sit here with you…"

Reiri inadvertently stood up and pushed her chair back in the table. "Hiro, you'll have to excuse me for today, I'm not feeling very well," she said, forcing a smile.

"Ah, okay…"

Before leaving, Reiri leaned close to Hiro's ear and whispered huskily, "I'll see you at home."

Hiro face flushed instantly and he gulped, though he didn't even have time to feel overjoyed because the male population was already heading in his direction, cracking their fists and stretching.

_**Lucky bastard!**_

_**He's getting it…**_

_**He's a dead man as of now!**_

"Ah!" Hiro screamed. _Please, no, I'm already dead anyway!_

_What is going on? _a concerned Reiri thought as she breezily flew her way back to the mansion. She had asked for permission to leave the school after saying that she felt a bit light-headed, which of course was just an excuse to be properly dismissed from the building. She had heard some strange voices exhoing quietly in her head during her time in the cafeteria, most of them involving comments on Hiro and herself. She almost felt sorry for the guy, leaving him like that. Though, at the moment, the matter at hand didn't include Hiro's problems.

It had started the moment she stepped into the building: her usual circle of girlfriends surrounded her as they had always done whenever she actually showed up at school, and the boys would gather somewhere in the sidelines to worship and go ga-ga over her. That was when she heard the first set of voices.

_**Reiri-sama is so beautiful…**_

_A girl's voice? _Reiri thought.

_**I love her hair; it's so silky and soft…**_

_Well, can't argue with that, _she thought vainly.

_**Wow, I wonder if she'd date me…**_

_Disturbing…, _Reiri thought, her smile twitching.

_**I love Reiri-sama so much…**_

_This _is _a girl, right? _Reiri thought awkwardly.

Since then, she had been hearing these distinctive tones of speech. There was only silence as of now, though, since she was on her way to Hime's deserted mansion at the top of the hill. Once there, she blandly landed before the entrance. She opened the gates and found Riza doing sit-ups against a felled tree in the front yard.

"Reiri?" Riza said, surprised. "What are you doing here? Did they release you guys early?"

Reiri gazed intensely into Riza's, to check for the voices' return.

"Hey… uh… do you need to use the bathroom or something?" Riza asked uncomfortably.

"How distasteful," Reiri said angrily, "asking a lady something like that in such bold manner."

Reiri walked off without a single glance back at Riza.

"Oi, you take that back!" Riza growled, but Reiri had already accessed the large building, muffling out the rest of her incoherent rant after shutting the door closed.

_Strange, I didn't hear anything, _Reiri thought to herself. _Maybe her brain is so small that she has absolutely nothing going on in there._

_**Oh, Reiri-chan is here, I should greet her…**_

"Welcome back," said Hiro's sister energetically, wearing the usual maid attire.

"Ah, yes, good afternoon," Reiri said. _Was that her?_

"Will you please tell Hime-sama that I'll be going out for a bit to do groceries, Reiri-chan?" the maid asked.

"Of course," said Reiri politely.

"Then I'm counting on you~" was what Sawawa said before bowing and leaving the building.

_**Strawberry parfait, banana parfait, kiwi parfait, orange parfait, and many more to try out! **_Sawawa sang in her mind, her song fading as she distanced herself further away from the mansion.

When the clock reached four o' clock in the afternoon, Hiro walked through the gigantic doors, back from school, worn out. He placed his bag pack in his room and his growling stomach helped him find his way into the kitchen. There he saw his sister preparing dinner while Riza kept her body hydrated by drinking some strange liquids that she had found in the refrigerator. He greeted them both, grabbed an apple to hold off the hunger, and left the room trudging in exhaustion. He had a horrible headache.

Once done drinking her weird liquids, Riza decided she'd go to her room to work out since nighttime would soon fall in the city. As she walked through the hallways, wiping the sweat of her body with a small yellow towel, thus blinding her vision, she bumped into Reiri, accidentally dropping the towel to the side on impact. Reiri's weight proved to be, surprisingly, heavier than Riza's, causing the vampire to fall on top of the werewolf, straddling her.

"_Itata_…," Reiri groaned, rubbing the back of her head with one hand. "Please watch where you're going next time, you uncoordinated beast."

"What the—you ran into me!" Riza said.

Memories of what Riza had been doing a few seconds before the collision were transmitted into Reiri's mind. Like playback, she saw everything: Riza was walking down the hall, a towel over her head, then she bumped into someone—Reiri. The vampire stopped the rubbing of her head and noticed that her body was in full contact with Riza's. Did that have any connection to what had just occurred? Her eyes widened as she stared at Riza in astonishment.

_**Why**_ _**is she looking at me like that?**_ Riza thought grumpily.

_I can hear it, _Reiri thought to herself.

What Riza said out loud was: "Oi, get off me, you're seriously heavy."

A vein popped on Reiri's temple, and she immediately jumped to her feet and off the werewolf with a stubborn huff, folding her arms once stable. Riza stood up, as well, and dusted herself off with the towel after picking it back up from the floor. Reiri narrowed her eyes, blocked out any noise that would disrupt her concentration, and focused on reaching Riza's mind. Not a thing. Could it be that before it was only possible because of the contact they had made when she fell on top of her? Then how was it possible for her to hear other people's thoughts from a distance? She was beginning to get confused.

Reiri retired from the unexpected encounter and decided she would test out one more subject before wandering off into the night to fetch herself some dinner.

"That's right, keep walking, you fatass!" yelled Riza; the vampire mustering up all her remaining bits of patience to keep herself from going back there and rearranging that dog's face.

Hiro lay on his bed, his arm draped over his eyes in a meager attempt to block out the light that hit him. He could always just get up and turn it off, but his headache was so horrid he couldn't even do that. The sound of his room's door opening resembled that of a bank's vault. He forced himself to lift his head and see who it was that had entered.

"Ara, Hiro, were you sleeping?" Reiri asked.

"Um, no, my brain is just sort of beating against my cranium," Hiro joked.

Reiri giggled. Silence followed, and the sharp vampire focused her attention on Hiro's mind, to see if she would happen to hear something. But there was nothing, again. Now it was time for method number two: hands-on, skin contact.

"Hiro, how bad is your headache?" Reiri asked, feigning concern.

"It's not so bad, really," he said, obviously trying to cover up the fact that he was dying on the inside. Ever since he arrived from school, the headache hadn't ceased. Should he tell Reiri about the mind-reading incidents that transpired throughout the day? She would probably think he was crazy and attempt to slap some sense into him.

"You may have a fever. Here"—she melodramatically ran to his side on the bed and put her hand atop his burning forehead—"let me check… Oh,my, it is certainly hot."

The reason why his forehead had reached such abnormal temperature was not because he was sick, but because of Reiri's bold touch.

_R-Reiri-san is touching me, _Hiro thought disbelievingly, vapor appeared to be steaming off his ears. _This is not the time to worry about that. What if Hime were to see us? _

_Eh, what _if _Hime-sama sees us? _Reiri asked herself.

_She's going to kill me a second time! _Hiro cried in his mind.

_You're going to resurrect, anyhow,_ Reiri, supposedly, replied in her head.

_Yes, but if Hime wanted—wait, huh!? Reiri-san? _Hiro thought, startled. _What are you doing inside my head?_

_W-what am I doing in yours? _Reiri thought. _What are you doing in mine!_

_We're talking, but our lips aren't moving, _Hiro skeptically told Reiri.

_So, you can hear me? _Reiri asked, motioning to herself.

Hiro grabbed the vampire girl's hand and slipped it off his forehead. He begrudgingly ordered his body to sit up and put his shoes back on. "Reiri-san, I think we need to report this to Hime."

"Have you two ever heard of the two mechanisms that are installed on beings the moment they are born?" Hime inquired with a calm demeanor, facing the scenery out the window as Riza, Reiri, and Hiro stood by the door, intently listening to her words. "They are called the 'sender' and the 'receiver.'"

"Fuga," said Flandre, nodding.

"An average being is born with a sender, while a supernatural being is born with a receiver," the blonde aristocrat in gothic clothing explained. "There are special cases, though, in which a being is born with both of these. If that being finds a psychological manifestation field, it is enabled to grant any creature its missing mechanism, as well as telepathically communicate with it."

"Hime, is that thing, whatever it is, targeting us?" Riza asked.

"Hmph, there's only one way to know," Hime said casually.

"Which is…?" Hiro trailed off.

"Reiri, do you have a spare school uniform?" Hime asked hastily.

"U-uh, yes," replied the uncertain vampire. "May I ask why, Hime-sama?"

"Riza, you're going back to school," Hime callously announced, closing the curtains of the window.

"Eh!?"

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The mysterious stuff begins now. Reviews would really help me, everyone! ^^/


	3. Princess Undercover

The next morning, Riza awoke earlier than usual since she had to try on the school uniform. She sluggishly dragged herself down to Reiri's room (the basement) and once she arrived, Reiri had her stand by the wall so that she could take some measurements of her body in order to adjust the uniform to fit her figure. After achieving the desired structure, Reiri shoved the uniform into Riza's hands and pushed her out her room, leaving her with a "Put that on and meet Hiro and I at the door by 7:30 a.m." before shutting the door in her face.

The day was cloudy today as well, but oddly enough, sunlight illuminated the hill's road.

On the way to school, Hiro studied his past notes because he was to take a quiz over them today. His thoughts strayed from the matter at hand to what Hime had told him before he left: "Listen, Hiro, you must watch over those two, keep them from arising any commotion. Riza is to lay low; I want to confirm something before the day finalizes. If you disappoint me, your replenishment of my blood will be delayed by a great amount of time. Do you think you'll be able alive by then?"

Hime was always so intimidating, yet Hiro found that strangely attractive…

_**Oho~ Hiro, so you find Hime-sama to be quite the turn-on? **_ Reiri teasingly asked.

_**R-Reiri-san, please don't snoop in on my thoughts! **_Hiro cried, telepathically.

_**I can't help it. Hiro, you're too adorable, **_responded Reiri, seductively.

Riza, standing in the middle of the three, caught them exchanging various glances and said, "Oi, are you guys doing that telepathic thing again?"

"Why, yes," Reiri said. "But that is none of your concern."

"Are you guys backstabbing me or something!?" Riza demanded.

"Why would we waste this amazing ability on a boring topic such as you?" Reiri replied.

"Hey, I'm wearing this suffocating uniform to help you guys out so don't badmouth me in your mind!" Riza said, slightly lifting the long, gray skirt and pale ribbon she was wearing. "Do you know how much this hurts my pride!?"

"I already told you we weren't talking about you," Reiri insisted. "And it's not our fault Hime-sama asked you to go undercover to the school."

"Riza-san, Reiri-san, please don't argue," Hiro said, cutting in between them, carrying out his job. "Besides, we're almost there," he finished, pointing at the school gates, students chattering away.

"Remember, we don't know each other," whispered Reiri to Riza before amiably tussling Hiro's hair and walking into the school gracefully, followed by Hiro afterward.

The second Riza stepped in, she perceived a strong wave of wind push her back, but then immediately in again. She felt at a loss of balance, but quickly regained her composure. Voices in her head gradually grew in volume, boys and girls mixed in a whirlpool of overwhelming thoughts. Her head began pulsating agonizingly.

"Oh, no, Reiri-sama, are you okay!?" A girl inquired with a hint of urgency in her tone.

By the time Riza turned around, she found Reiri's frail body on the ground.

"Someone help Reiri-sama!" a girl yelled, panicking.

Riza glanced around and her eyes met with Hiro's.

_**Riza-san…**_ he thought, beckoning her to Reiri's direction.

Riza, hearing him quite clearly, gulped and then nodded before running towards Reiri, helping her up, and half-carrying, half-dragging her to the nurse's office.

- - -

Reiri regained consciousness and found herself tucked in bed at the nurse's office. She turned her head to the side, her range of vision coming to falling upon Hiro, sitting on the bed next to hers, stretching his arms as he yawned.

_**Hiro?**_

_**Huh? **_Hiro turned at the call of his name. _**Reiri-san you're awake!**_

_**Where am I? **_Reiri asked.

_**The nurse's office, **_Hiro replied. _**You collapsed at the entrance of the school this morning.**_

_**Oh, did you bring me here? **_

Hiro shook his head. _**Riza-san did.**_

"Riza!?" Reiri suddenly blurted out loud, sitting up, remembering the mission Hime had entrusted to them. "What time is it? Has she already gone to class? What are _you _doing here, Hiro?"

Hiro waved his hands in front of Reiri, as if it would help stop all the questions she was suddenly bombarding him with. "It's 11:30 a.m. at the moment. Riza-san has gone to class, introduced as a new exchange student from Signisland. And I'm here because I started feeling dizzy with my headache returning and all. I probably failed my quiz, too, because of hearing so many distracting thoughts."

"I'm sorry, Hiro," Reiri said apologetically. "All those thoughts, they just became too much for me to handle and I guess I just sort of passed out."

"It's fine, Reiri-san," Hiro said with a comforting smile. "But do you feel well enough to get up? It's already lunch time."

Reiri gently rose from the bed and got to her feet, delicately straightening out her uniform and fiixing her hair, Hiro admiring her every movement. She left a note to the nurse, telling her that she was feeling much better and will be leaving now.

- - -

Reiri and Hiro entered the cafeteria together. Reiri quickly spotted Riza eating with some masculine guys at a table in the far corner of the room. Hiro went to the back of the line to attain his tray of food while Reiri approached Riza, eating in her usual uncivilized manners.

"Ara, Riza-san, I've been looking all over for you," Reiri said, bringing a hand up to the side of her face cutely.

Almost immediately, a fervent crowd of boys and girls cornered Reiri at the table Riza was sitting at, leaving Hiro as the only customer in line; he thought he was pretty lucky.

"R-Reiri-sama, you know her?" one girl asked, astonished.

"Reiri-sama, how is she related to you!?" another guy asked, carrying the same expression as the girl that preceded him.

"Why, she's my long lost friend's third cousin's step-brother's adopted sister," Reiri replied casually, her surreal smile never vanishing from her features.

". . ."

"So, she's not related to you at all, then?" the boy queried, sweat-dropping.

"It's definitely a large tree with several branches, but that doesn't matter now, does it?" Reiri said, ending her sentence with a charming giggle.

The boy had smoke coming out of his nose and a goofy smile plastered upon his face. "I-I guess not…"

"Well, then, don't mind me, everyone," Reiri said. "Please return to your seats and enjoy your meals."

The students did so. Reiri proceeded to sitting across from Riza, shooting the macho men a piercing, frightening look, compelling them to flee like sissies. Hiro soon joined them, bringing his tray of food with him. He took the seat beside Riza's.

_**That girl is so lucky.**_

_**She gets to spend lunch with Reiri-sama.**_

_**Where's Signisland, anyway?**_

_**She's such a tomboy.**_

_**The weakling is there, too.**_

_**Why does Reiri-san only approach weirdoes?**_

"It's not like I want to," Reiri sighed, after hearing those thoughts.

"I wish I didn't have telepathy," Hiro said, crying a waterfall of tears.

"Toughen it up, Hiro," Riza said, snapping her fork in his direction. "You're Hime's warrior. You gotta start acting like a man."

"And you've got to girl it up," Reiri said, exasperated. "What will it take to turn you into a lady?"

"Hey, is this what you say to the person that carried your fatass to the nurse's office?" Riza said, speaking with her mouth full.

"Oh, yeah…t-thanks," Reiri said in a very low tone, a faint blush forming upon her cheeks. Riza had to admit that she was a little shocked at hearing Reiri sincerely thank her, not to mention her embarrassment was sort of cute. "_Anyway,_" she continued, changing the topic, "Signisland? Have you no creativity?"

"What—that was the best I could come up with since I don't speak any language other than Japanese!" Riza protested. "I don't even look foreign. So, I decided that I would be Riza Wildman, Daughter of the Great Warrior: Volg Wildman, coming from Signisland speaking Sign language."

"P-please don't tell me you actually introduced yourself with that ridiculous speech…?" Reiri said, mortified.

"Yup, I did!" Riza proudly declared, putting the knife away, now done with her food.

"I would tell you that you're an incompetent moron, but that would just be stating the obvious," Reiri said with a raised eyebrow and twitching smile.

"Um, I think it was pretty smart, since people here don't know Sign language," Hiro opinioned, trying to stop their argument, keep them in watch. "She could just make things up and people would believe her."

"Yeah, plus, I'm only here temporarily," Riza said, getting up to throw her trash away.

"But do we know what Hime-sama is trying to accomplish?" Reiri queried.

"We just know that Riza-san has to stay here for a short while so that she can confirm something," Hiro said, eating the last potion of his meal, afterward taking Riza's tray and his own to its appropriate location.

The bell that signaled the termination of lunch tolled, and the students returned to their classrooms.

- - -

After school, the three began their excruciating walk up the hill. At first, they had attempted to maintain a small chat to liven up the dark, sullen mood the day gave off, but then decided against it since it only wasted it the precious energy stored in their bodies which was reserved to climb the steep road. As cloudy as it was, the sun's rays only reached the hill.

"Hime, we're back," announced a sweaty Riza as she allowed the door to Hime's room, which she had abruptly swung open, slam the wall, leaving a very faint dent. Reiri and Hiro followed soon after, trudging in exhaustion.

Hime instantly slapped her palm to her mouth in a fast but delicate motion, turning her face to the side, her body slightly shaking.

"H-Hime, what's wrong?" asked Hiro, concerned.

Hime regained her composure and turned to face the three that has just stepped in. "Forgive me I just…"—she glanced at Riza in her school uniform—"seeing you in such get-up is quite…something."

"Damn it, you were laughing, weren't you!?" Riza roared, flailing her arms about in frustration.

"Well, it is quite funny," Reiri added, chuckling.

Hiro decided not to laugh for the sake of retaining his life.

- - -

After everyone had settled down, Hime ordered Reiri and Hiro to sit across from each other on the long table, each occupying one end. Hime removed herself from her seat and gave it to Hiro, while Reiri was left with the one nearest to the door. Riza leaned against the wall close to the window, beside Flandre and Hime.

"So are you going to tell us now why you sent me to school?" Riza asked, her arms folded at the back of her head.

"Can you communicate telepathically with Hiro and Reiri?" Hime queried.

_**Can I…?**_ Riza wondered, turning to Reiri.

_**Isn't it obvious? **_Reiri responded.

_**N-no way! **_Riza thought disbelievingly.

"From the look on your face I think it's safe to assume that you can," Hime finally said.

"So, Hime, something _is _targeting us, then?" asked Hiro, concerned.

"Yes," Hime confirmed. "There's one more thing I want to check before we jump to conclusions, though. Hiro and Reiri, you will stay in your current spots until the sun goes down. Every once in a while communicate with each other telepathically."

The vampire and the meek immortal warrior were still not sure about what Hime was hoping to accomplish, but they did as they were told and stared into each other's eyes, beginning some light conversation within their minds. Of course, Riza was able to hear everything they were saying, but she wasn't exactly interested. Hours ran past, but no one could distinctly tell since the sun, climbing its way down to the opposing side of the planet, was roughly hidden by the grey clouds. After a few more minutes, Hiro tried asking Reiri if she was bored, but the message didn't get through. He tried it again, but there was no response from the now seemingly debilitated vampire.

"Hime, I can't read Reiri-san's thoughts anymore!" Hiro exclaimed, surprised.

"How about you, Riza?" Hime inquired unhurriedly.

Riza attempted reading Hiro's and Reiri's thoughts, but nothing was being transmitted from either of their minds. Riza shook her head at Hime.

"Then there is no doubt now that it's a telepathic demon targeting us," Hime concluded, slightly smirking. "Hiro, now walk over to where Riza is and hold her hand."

"H-h-hold her hand!?" Hiro stuttered, alarmed.

Hime shot him a warning look and Hiro later found himself standing by Riza's side, her hand clasped in his.

_**What is he doing!? **_Riza thought, unable to hide her oncoming blush.

"I can hear Riza-san!" Hiro informed, mouth agape.

"As I thought," Hime said to herself more than the others. "I read in a book that telepathic abilities weaken as the day gradually ends, as well as its users. With that said, the telepathic demon is unable to supply you, his targets, with enough power that allows you to communicate with one another."

"But I don't understand, Hime-sama," Reiri suddenly said. "How is giving us telepathy harming us?"

"Reiri, have you been getting constant headaches lately?" Hime asked.

"No, but Hiro has," Reiri replied, resulting in Hime's attention returning to Hiro.

"But Reiri-san fainted today," Hiro said.

"Whatever has occurred to you does not matter, the point is you're weakening," Hime explained. "Reading minds takes an incredible amount of energy from a person. The telepathic demon's goal is definitely me, but you're also part of my faction, so it's only logical that it set after you, as well."

"Wait a minute," Riza said. "So, are we going to die?"

"If the demon is not killed soon, then yes," Hime collectedly responded.

"How are we supposed to find it, Hime?" Hiro queried, growing anxious.

Hime explained that telepathic demons reside at psychological manifestation fields, and get their power from light, but artificial lighting did not work. That was why the three of them became unable to communicate after sunset. Supernatural beings bestowed with the power of telepathy were able to hear average beings' thoughts night and day due to their "sender" mechanism, but they were not able to hear their kind's thoughts after dark unless coming into contact with them since they possessed the "receiver" mechanism, which explained why Hiro and Riza were able to speak when they held hands and Reiri with Hiro the day before.

Reiri then said, "But if our power weakened at sundown then that means…"

"That's right, Reiri," Hime continued. "You're each a walking psychological manifestation field. But yours are only temporary; the demon found and is in possession of an authentic, immobile one."

"That means that if a psychological manifestation field needs true light, then the demon would be located some place where the light hits it directly!" Hiro said, bringing his fist down to his palm in sudden comprehension.

"In this case, true light would be the sun's rays," Reiri explicated, getting to her feet. "If it's been cloudy the past two days, the only place where the sun has actually hit must have been—"

"The hill's road!" the three shouted altogether, remembering how the sun always lit their way to and from the mansion.

"Flandre," Hime said, turning to her gynoid. "Take us to the demon's refuge."

Flandre had been installed with a passive infrared sensor, enabling her to detect motion and changing patterns emitted by objects in her vicinity. The five followed Flandre down the dark road, keeping careful watch of their step. Reiri and Hiro were feeling a bit of light-headedness, but they kept going, holding onto each other for support, the exchanging of their thoughts growing far more unbearable by the minute. Riza was debilitating, as well, but she wasn't as bad as the two that were bestowed with the ability before her. Hime remained cool and collected, arms crossed before her chest and carrying a seemingly bored expression. Flandre came to a stop before a battered, decrepit bush. She pointed to it with her finger and Hime ordered Riza to take what was left of the dilapidated shrub down, clearing her a path into a large, opaque hole.

"There was a cave here?" Hiro said in awe as he entered it, Reiri letting go of him.

They walked a few feet before reaching a dead end.

"So you were here," Hime said in a crude tone, her voice resonating throughout the cave.

"I didn't expect you find me so soon, Hime-sama," someone replied, the same echo pattern repeating.

A girl with short green hair and deep crystalline eyes emerged from the shadows, a cloak covering the rest of her body with the hood resting on her back. She was struggling for breath even after making barely any movement at all, and her body looked very fragile, as if it might break if someone were to touch her. She stiffened her body and balled her fists, eyeing the Gothic princess with ardent fierceness.

"Are you sure you wish to fight me in that state?" Hime queried, brimming with confidence.

The girl only smiled malevolently.

"I can give you my blood, and you can become my warrior, since my brother doesn't seem to be feeding you regularly," Hime offered with unfeeling generosity.

"We may not look it, Hime-sama, but we telepathic demons are quite faithful to our masters," the girl responded defiantly.

"Well, then"—Hime extended her right palm to the side and Flandre threw into it a large knife from her apron pocket; Hime catching it without any difficulty—"I'm quite flexible." And she swiftly ran up to the girl to inflict a mortal cut on her neck, which gradually enlarged to the point where she could no longer bear the weight of her own head and caused it to dispatch from her anatomy.

"The only way to kill a telepathic demon is to remove their head from their bodies," Hime finally said, her right arm covered in the blood that had sputtered out of the girl.

The horrified Hiro stared at the beheaded girl's now lifeless body on the ground, a pool of blood growing to surround her. He gulped and asked with the slightest tinge of hope in his tone, "But won't she recover, since she's your brother's blood warrior?"

"In a normal case scenario she would," Hime explicated, wiping off some of the thick, red liquid on her hand with the virgin part of the knife. "But the royal blood was wearing out on her when we arrived here, so it will not be enough to heal a wound such as this one. Now that she is dead, you three will gradually lose this telepathic ability."

Hiro let a small, silent whimper escape his throat, unable to help the trembling of his body.

"Oh, which reminds me, Hiro," Hime continued, "the effects of my blood are running out, it's time you get some more."

Hime used the knife to cut her right hand's index finger, and Hiro habitually fell on his knees right below it, letting Hime's blood fall into his mouth. He could taste the unfamiliar bits that once belonged to the telepathic demon girl, and he couldn't help but feel a little sick.

At that moment, a memory flashed into Hiro's mind. Not his, but Hime's. Hime and Flandre were standing on a cliff, and underneath it millions of blood warriors were fighting against others, a built, handsome man walked to the end of the cliff, appearing behind her, and placed his hand on her shoulder, flashing her a benevolent yet chilling smile. Hime never turned to face him or returned the smile, but she never refused his hand, either.

The reminiscence abruptly stopped there, bringing Hiro back to reality.

Hime retired and the rest of the gang of followed her suit out of the cave. On the way back to the mansion, Hiro couldn't help but wonder who that man that took part in Hime's memories was, but he would never dare ask. Even so, he was thankful to his remaining telepathic power for allowing him to uncover some of Hime's past.

"All of you listen," Hime called, halfway from reaching the mansion. "I want you to be careful from now onwards. My royal brother is...quite _fond _of mind games."

And with that, she turned gracefully and climbed up the hill. Hiro, whom had fallen behind without nearly coming as close to realizing it, shook the mysterious man out of his thoughts and caught up to the others.

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Thanks to all of you have reviewed so far! Though, I would really love it if you signed in, my anonymous reviewers. If you can't, then it's fine, I appreciate the feedback, everyone! ^^/


	4. Princess Housecube

Hiro and his sister made their way through the crowded streets of the downtown. Sawawa had approached Hiro while he was working on his school assignments and asked if he could assist her in today's grocery shopping. Hiro agreed, since he thought it would be a nice, short break from paperwork and would help clear off his stressed mind. Her sister, though, went astray after a few minutes upon arrival, beginning to become awfully aware of cute little adornments and ornaments the various stores presented for sale. Hiro allowed his sister to marvel before them, figuring that she must get bored staying at the mansion every day, confined in the kitchen. He decided that he would take a look around the place as well, while his sister kept herself occupied.

He aimlessly wandered the streets, occasionally stopping by the news stand and skimming through intriguing articles. Once resuming his stroll past the stores, someone placed their hand atop his right shoulder and hastily whipped him around to face them. It was a frail, old woman who wore a purple cloak with a light, dangling silver chain as a necklace.

"Say, young lad," the woman began with a shrilling tone that would scare even the crows away, taking out a colorful cube, "might you be interested in puzzles?"

"I-I'm not very good at them," Hiro honestly replied, trying his best to keep his polite smile in place.

"Why, no need to be so modest," the woman said, shoving the cube into Hiro's empty hands. "Take this one and try to solve it."

"Ah, t-thank you very much, Miss," Hiro said, attempting to sound grateful as he bowed. "When would you like for me to return it?"

The woman laughed. "You won't get a chance to give it back"—the sentence aroused some Goosebumps in Hiro's skin—"Think of it as a present. Just enjoy yourself."

And with that, the woman disappeared in the passing crowds. Hiro stared at the cube for a moment, and soon identified it as the ever-popular Rubik's Cube. He then heard his sister half-bouncing, half-skipping down the streets, greeting him with an innumerable amount of shopping bags hanging from her clamped hands. Apparently, she had already done all the grocery shopping.

"Hiro, could you help me with these bags?"—she immediately noticed the small, 3-dimensional toy Hiro held in his hands—"Ara, what's that? Did you find something you liked and purchased it?"

"Something like that… But you can keep it." Hiro sent her a crooked smile. "So, um, you need help with those, right?"

"Oh, yes, let's trade," she suggested in high spirits. "I'll take the cube and you take all these bags!"

Sawawa didn't even wait for Hiro's response and snatched the cube, handing him all the bags subsequently. Sawawa placed the cube inside her apron pocket. They finally reached the hill's road, walking side by side toward Hime's mansion. Hiro took one clumsy step and tripped, causing him and the bags to tumble down to the starting point of the hill.

After a few minutes, Sawawa finally reached her younger brother. "Oh, goodness!"

Hiro grudgingly sat up and rubbed his pained head, laughing weakly. "Don't worry, Onee-sama, I'm fine."

Sawawa turned to him with a befuddled expression. "Oh, I know you're fine, Hiro, I was only referring to my groceries."

_Onee-sama, just what exactly am I to you?_ Hiro thought, a waterfall of tears streaming down his face.

---

After picking up all the bags and arriving to the mansion, Sawawa quickly headed to the kitchen to brew Hime her belated afternoon tea while Riza helped Hiro with the bags and putting the groceries and other things in their corresponding locations. The maid entered Hime's room after knocking and gaining permission.

"Good afternoon, Ojou-sama, Flandre-chan," greeted Sawawa amiably, setting down her silver tray with the tea set.

"Good afternoon," said the Gothic princess, pushing aside some papers she had been previously reading.

"Fuga."

When Sawawa reached for the teapot, the lower part of her abdomen bumped into the table, causing an unfamiliar bulge to press her in that spot. That was when she remembered she had stuffed Hiro's cube in her apron pocket. She allowed a hand to enter her pocket and fumbled for the colorful toy. Once her hand grabbed a hold of it, she pulled it out and approached Flandre who was standing beside Hime, handing her the cube with a generous smile.

"Flandre-chan, you can have this," Sawawa said. "Hiro thinks he's too old for such things, but I'm sure you'll find it quite entertaining."

Flandre sought her master for approval. Hime turned a side-glance on her little maid gynoid, and then nodded. Flandre took it, eyeing the cube with curiosity.

"Sawawa, where's Hiro?" Hime asked.

"Hiro is with Riza-chan, unpacking the groceries," Sawawa informed, taking the tray from the table and walking to the door, slightly opening it. "He will start on his homework soon."

"Alright," said Hime. "You are excused."

Flandre unscrambled the cube as Sawawa performed a small curtsey before Hime and left.

Sawawa cheerfully made her way down the stairs, heading towards the kitchen. Once she arrived, she found the living room instead of the scullery.

Sawawa cocked her head in slight bewilderment. "Are, I was sure the kitchen was here a minute ago?" she said to herself, placing one finger atop her lower lip, the remaining hand still holding the tray. "I must have taken the wrong route, silly me. I'll just go back the way I came from." And she set off to the opposing direction, leaving the tray to rest at some corner of the hall so that her arm could take a break.

---

In the kitchen, Hiro and Riza had already organized each of the things that Sawawa had bought. Riza sat on one of the wooden stools drinking a bottle of water while Hiro headed for the fridge to find one for himself. After a few minutes of idling time away as they sat doing nothing, Riza finally rose from the chair and grabbed an orange. She told Hiro that she would head for her room to work out since nighttime had already fallen and she could not head out. Hiro nodded and told her that he would accompany her because he was going to his room, as well. They both agreed.

As soon as they stepped out of the kitchen, they found themselves a few feet away from Riza's room. The staircase that had previously been located there was nowhere to be found.

"… Was you room always this close, Riza-san?" Hiro asked, obviously knowing the answer.

"Don't crack lame jokes, Hiro," Riza said in a serious tone, not even turning to face him.

"I was just saying…" Hiro finished dejectedly.

"Let's go check it out," Riza suggested, dragging Hiro by the collar down the lengthy hallway that directly led to her room. They didn't bother to check the rooms adjacent to each other along the way.

When Riza swung the door open, a dark silhouette that resembled a disfigured smear lunged at Hiro and her, knocking them down. The orange rolled its way out of the room, slowly.

---

"Waa~" yawned Reiri as she rose from her cramped yet somewhat comfy coffin. She stretched for a small while before getting to her feet and closing the lid to her bed.

It had been a while since she had gone hunting for her meals, and she was growing tired of drinking tomato juice almost every day. It was time she got some _real _food.

_I'll find myself a little cute, innocent virgin tonight, _thought a content Reiri as she climbed the decrepit stairs and exited the room with grace. The moment she shut the door behind her, however, she found herself right across Hime's room.

_Ara, was this here before? _Reiri wondered in her mind.

She shrugged it off and accessed Hime's room with uncertainty to find her tranquilly sipping some tea in her usual spot. Reiri wondered how Hime kept herself in shape just sitting there all day. Maybe she was royally blessed with a perfect figure or something.

_Damn rich bastards,_ Reiri thought, thinking back on how she had to go on countless diets to keep fit. Riza was just an exercising maniac so she didn't count.

"Reiri, you're awake," Hime greeted with a faint smile.

"Good evening, Hime-sama," Reiri replied pleasantly, performing a curtsy before her much like Sawawa's but surpassing her in elegancy.

"Do you need something?" Hime asked straightforwardly, placing her cup down.

"Why, Hime-sama, I just thought I'd pay you a little visit since it appears we're now roomies," responded the vampire surreptitiously, never flinching.

"Care to elaborate, Reiri?" continued Hime, Reiri's arcane sentence piquing her well-hidden curiosity.

"Well, I was just coming out to get a snack when I found your room to be right across mine, Hime-sama," explained Reiri.

"Interesting…" The blonde's ruby eyes found Flandre playing with the cube, twisting and turning it countless times. She stood and calmly made her way to the window, opening the curtains—she found a mural which contained various colors forming a nonsensical whirlpool, not the usual scenery. She arched an eyebrow with sudden interest and headed towards the stand where teacups and other garments were displayed. She reached in and pulled out four Walkie-talkies, throwing one of them in Reiri's direction, which she caught but at the last minute. The other she left by Flandre's side, telling her to be alert, at which Flandre responded to with a "Fuga."

"I'll look for Hiro," Hime told Reiri as she opened the door to the room, "you go find Riza, Reiri."

---

"Damn it, Hiro," cursed Riza as she kept her hands on the steel door, pushing her weight on it, "be useful for once and get something to hit them with!"

Zombies were at the other side of the door, the one that was previously in the room was knocked out by Riza and thrown out of the room with the rest of them, but it soon got back on its unsteady feet to join the rest of the crowd. Hiro fumbled for something to scare them away or use to fight them with. He turned to the corner of the room and found a dumbbell, part of the equipment Riza used to keep fit and strengthen herself. He grabbed it and headed in Riza's direction to hit the amounting zombies at the door, aggressively thrusting it forward in unison.

Hiro threw the dumbbell at them, but when he heard a "clunk," he hadn't hit the zombies, but Riza—which knocked her out on the spot.

"Ah!" Hiro yelled out in terror, cursing his bad aim under his breath as he ran over to Riza's side. "Riza-san!?"

That was when he remembered that the zombies were on the other side of the door; actually, by now, they might have already entered the room. He immediately positioned the door in his line of sight, but there was no one—empty. Hiro was utterly confused and bewildered. What had happened to all the living dead that were forcing their way in just a minute ago? He shook the question off his mind and tended to Riza, who was still out cold.

He gulped and decided he would check outside the room for zombies, but the first thing he saw once he stepped out was the basement, and the vampire's coffin. He blinked a couple of times, hoping that the scenery would change after closing his eyelids. Even so, it didn't. He warily pivoted and began to head back to Riza's room, but it had disappeared, and a wall had replaced it.

Before Hiro could even allow the strange occurrence to fully register in his mind, he heard an "Augh…" emanating from behind him. He started sweating and gulped, his knees beginning to shake.

_Maybe now would be a good time to pray,_ Hiro thought as he prepared to turn around and face his doom. But then again, he was an immortal warrior; he couldn't die unless the royal blood ran out. _Oh, great, I'll be killed a thousand times before I reach the ultimate one._

Before he could think of any more painful ways to die, the rapid slash of some _thing _flew right past him and slaughtered the zombies in a u-turn before passing by Hiro again and returning to its origin. The entire crowd of the undead all clattered to the floor and remained immobile. Hiro spun around once more to face the only force, or being, which was able to find more than a hundred ways to kill zombies with just a wooden, returning boomerang—Hime.

_Hime… with that sort of strength, it makes me wonder who the dominant one in our relationship is, _Hiro wondered, perplexed. _W-wait, there's no relationship between us at all! I'm getting ahead of myself._

"Hiro, stop your dawdling," Hime ordered, lowering the boomerang and heading out the door. "These are demon zombies and will revive eventually, so we have to move on."

"A-ah, yes, Hime," Hiro obediently responded, stopping the twiddling of his fingers. _Did I say any of that out loud…?_

"Demons zombies are possessed corpses, they can only die if the spell that bounds them is broken or if exorcism is performed," explicated Hime, oblivious to what Hiro was going through just recently.

"Hime, the rooms have been changing locations," informed Hiro, walking down the corridor beside Hime. "What's going on?"

"It seems some sort of phenomena has surrounded this mansion," said Hime, pulling out her Walkie-talkie. "I've found a pattern in all this position-changing the rooms have begun to take."

"What is that?" Hiro asked.

"The Rubik's cube and its colors," revealed Hime as they came to a stop before Sawawa's room.

Hime pressed the one and only button on the Walkie-talkie and said, "Reiri, state your location."

There was a static-like sound that preceded the vampire's reply on the other side. "I'm currently in the bathroom, Hime-sama," she informed. Then added in a rush, "B-but I was only transported here; I was at the kitchen just recently!"

"Have you met with Riza yet?" Hime asked, entirely ignoring Reiri's reason for occupying the restroom.

"I'm afraid not, Hime-sama," she said.

Hime turned to Hiro, lowering her Walkie-talkie. "Hiro, where is Riza?"

"The last time I saw her, she was in her room…before I accidentally knocked her out with a dumbbell," Hiro finished sheepishly.

"A dumb—how did you—never mind that," Hime said, before returning to the Walkie-talkie. "Reiri, Riza is currently lying unconscious in her room. Your mission is to find her, wake her, hand her one of the Walkie-talkies and then head for the basement."

"Roger that, Hime-sama~" the vampire said before a click signaled her withdrawal.

"Hiro, you will head to the kitchen," Hime ordered. "I will go to my room."

Hiro never faltered or protested and obediently followed his mistress's command.

---

After Reiri stuffed the Walkie-talkie in her skirt pocket, she stood, turned around, and found herself to be right before Riza's room. The rooms had changed locations once again. On the bright side, now the restroom was closer to the dog and she wouldn't have to teach her how to go potty outside the mansion. She walked over to Riza's side and squatted, eyeing her ally's sleeping face. She lifted and held Riza's head with her left hand, and began to mercilessly slap her awake with the other hand.

"Ouch, crud—Reiri, what the hell do you think you're doing!?" Riza growled, snapping Reiri's hand away and tending to her stinging cheek.

"You didn't seem to mind it at all when Hime-sama did it that time we were trapped in Hiro's dream," Reiri retorted nonchalantly. "Anyhow"—she handed Riza her Walkie-talkie—"Hime says you should stay here, that she'll give us instructions on what to do next once we're in our respective rooms."

"W-wait, where are _you _going?" Riza asked.

"The basement," she replied, before winking and shutting Riza's door.

---

"Arara, I was so sure my room was here an hour ago…?" Sawawa half-wondered, half-said to herself in the lone corridors. "Hallucinations _are _the side-effects of too many parfaits, so it'll pass."

Sawawa retired and continued to wander the halls.

---

"Can everyone hear me?" Hime, now in her room, asked thought the Walkie-talkie.

"Loud and clear, Hime," responded Riza.

"Us, too," said Reiri and Hiro, joining the others.

"Fuga."

"Are you going to tell us why we're holding Walkie-talkies and in separate rooms?" Riza questioned, exasperated.

"P-please do it fast, because I got zombies waiting to eat me at the other side of the door," Hiro cried, in the kitchen.

"Yeah, me too, but I don't whine about it," Riza said, her back against her door to prevent the zombies from accessing her room.

"This afternoon, Sawawa gave Flandre a strange Rubik's cube," Hime explained composedly. "Apparently, it is cursed."

"Wow, tell me something I _don't _know," Riza said sarcastically.

"Oh, I've read about this in a book once," Reiri interjected. "Once the cube enters an enclosed space, be it a house, cabin, trailer, castle, school, or mansion, if it is unscrambled, the host building moves accordingly with the cube."

"Ah, so that's why the rooms have been switching around," Hiro said. "Flandre unscrambled the puzzle, so the mansion has become one, too."

"But what's up with the zombies?" Riza queried.

"Each block in the cube represents a zombie," Hime explained. "A cube has 27 blocks, so there are currently 27 demon zombies in this mansion."

"How are we going to destroy them, Hime-sama?" Reiri inquired.

"Think of the zombies and the puzzle as a set, if you destroy one you destroy the other," Hime said. "Since there is no possible way to destroy the zombies, we will resort to solving the Rubik's cube."

"And since the cube is now connected with the house, once we get it in order, the mansion will go back to normal, right?" Hiro said, everything finally coming together for me.

"Flandre," Hime called, trying to get through to her gynoid in the other room.

"Fuga," replied the small servant maid.

"You have the cube currently in your possession, it's your duty to solve it," Hime said in a tone filled with authority. "Do you understand?"

"Fuga," said Flandre, nodding even if no one could actually see her gesture.

"What are we doing in these rooms, then?" Riza asked.

"Every time Flandre rotates, twists, or moves the colors of the cube, we will be checking outside of our rooms to see if the house is in order," Hime explicated.

"Once that happens, are the zombies going to die?" Riza questioned once more.

"No," Hime said. "Once the cube is solved, I will head to where Flandre is located, take the cube, and destroy it."

Hiro gulped. "W-what happens if we don't?"

"The cube will unscramble itself and we'll be trapped in this mansion forever, along with the demon zombies," Hime simply said.

"Why don't we just destroy it now!?" Riza demanded.

"Because the mansion will remain disorderly and we won't be able to escape," she said casually. "Though the zombies will be gone."

"So, the destruction of the cube is the obliteration of the zombies while the puzzle is the arrangement of the mansion," Reiri said in comprehension.

"Ugh, they're almost in the room!" Hiro cried out through the communication device.

"Everyone, find a weapon to hold them off until Flandre figures out the solution," Hime ordered. "Report to me every time a change occurs in your vicinity."

---

Hiro fumbled for a knife in a nearby drawer, but all he found were butter knives. His eyes wandered around to come to a halt before the kitchen table—upon it lay a silver soup ladle. Not really what he had in mind, but beggars can't be choosers, so he grabbed it without further hesitation.

The wooden door was packed with about ten of them, squirming their way in, losing an arm or leg in the process, which simply creeped the meek mortal warrior out. He shut his eyes tightly before running towards them and whacking them with all his might. As expected, they were only out for a couple of minutes before rising from the dead.

_Heh, I made a funny, _Hiro thought, comforting himself.

A static-like sound emanated from his pocket. "Hiro, check outside your designated room."

Hiro did as told, pushing the zombies away forcefully. "Hime, my area is fixed!"

"Reiri, check your vicinity," Hime ordered.

Reiri, who by chance didn't have any zombies pestering her, followed Hime's request.

"I'm sorry to be the downer that delivers the bad news, Hime-sama, but my side isn't quite right," informed Reiri, awkwardly waving at Riza, whose room had now been transported near the basement.

---

"Ararara, I'm at Hime-sama's room now?" a hapless Sawawa said to no one in particular but herself, opening the door to Hime's room and finding Flandre twisting and turning the Rubik's cube. "You need help with that, Flandre-chan?"

"Fuga," said the gynoid as the naïve maid approached her.

---

"How about now?" Hime queried to anyone that could hear her at the other end of the line.

"Tough luck, my area's still messed up," Riza said, sounding a tad miffed.

"He, he," Hiro abashedly chuckled, waving at Riza at the other side of the building, past the stairs.

"W-well, we better hurry ourselves," Reiri cried. "The zombies are invading _my _room now!" You could hear Reiri's strained grunts and occasionally a "gross" as she kicked them away, followed by the static.

After changing to countless locations time and time again, the rooms finally stopped moving and interchanging.

---

The news traveled at a rapid speed and reached Hime, who swung the door to her room open and headed to the room she spent most of the time in, the one Flandre was currently occupying. She immediately spotted Sawawa holding the solved puzzle and ran over to her with her boomerang. Sawawa needn't to be told to let go of the cube and delicately let it rest on the long dining table. Hime lifted the boomerang and sharply smashed the cursed, three-dimensional toy to various colorful pieces.

At that exact moment, the zombies all turned to gray ash, which then unexplainably vanished. The rest of the gang joined the Gothic princess at her room, who had seemingly accidentally destroyed her dining table in the process of saving the mansion.

"Hmm, don't worry, Hime-sama," a sympathetic Sawawa said. "Hiro and I will definitely get your table fixed as soon as we can"—she turned to the tiny maid robot—"and Flandre-chan can help out, as well."

"Fuga."

"Sawawa, you solved the puzzle, correct?" Hime inquired, walking to her chair and sitting down.

"Why, yes," said the maid.

_Wh-who'd have known, _Hiro thought, amazed. _My sister is a genius…_

"Thank you," Hime said gratefully, closing her eyes. "You are dismissed."

Sawawa bowed and left the room with questions marks taking over her thoughts, for she had no idea why her mistress was thanking her. She didn't dwell on it for long, though, since she had to prepare dinner.

"Was it your brother again?" Riza inquired. "You know, 'mind games.'"

Hime allowed a faint smirk to form upon her lips. "You could say that."

"So, since the puzzle was unraveled, the mansion was put back in order, right, Hime?" Hiro asked, trying to clear things up.

"Yes, the spell has been broken," Hime confirmed, opening the curtain and lifting the window sill to show them they were free and sitting back atop the hill again—there was no mural.

"But how troublesome for Sawawa-san to bring that cube here," Reiri opinioned exhaustedly.

Hiro gulped in alarm. "A-actually, I was the one that sort of brought it here."

Hiro had gained his mistress's devoted attention. "Go on, Hiro," she said calmly, an eerie aura surrounding her.

"W-well, an old lady gave it to me at the downtown," Hiro explained. "A-and I couldn't say no because she pushed me so much and she was so frail, and weak, and pitiful—"

"Hiro, didn't they teach you in Kindergarten that you don't take stuff from creepy old ladies!?" Riza chided.

"I see," Reiri said, leaning on the wall. "So it was Hiro who brought home all this trouble."

"I-I-I"—he bowed deeply—"I'm sorry, everyone!"

"Sorry does not cover the damages inflicted tonight," Hime said coolly, which Hiro interpreted as reproachful.

"I-I'll be sure to fix them, Hime-sama!" Hiro announced in reassurance.

"Please do."

Reiri and Riza left for their respective rooms, though Reiri was a bit irked by this occurrence since she couldn't get a meal tonight, either. So she headed for the kitchen to drink another box of that dreadful tomato juice. Hiro stayed in Hime's room to pick up the remains of the cursed cube that once laid atop the dining table, which was partly smashed, as well.

"And, Hiro," Hime said, gazing out the window. "You are very reliable; just know it pleases me."

Hiro blushed faintly, gathering the last bits of the toy up in his hands. "I'm glad."

- - -

"Fuga."

"Ah, Francesca, is that the mail?" asked princess Sherwood, the youngest of the royal siblings, as she rose from a bed that was twice her size but "fit for a princess," as she once quoted.

The tall gynoid in maid clothing nodded and handed her mistress the papers, politely standing by her side until she was finished reading.

Sherwood skimmed and shuffled through each of them, since most were advertisements, until she came across one which piqued her interest. She arched an eyebrow. "My, my, I've got tell Onee-sama about this one."

XXX

Please excuse the delay, everyone, school has already begun for me. Reviews would make me really happy and give me the will to carry on :)


	5. Princess Phenomenon

"Hiro, hurry up!" Riza roughly called out as she boarded the luxurious cruise with all her luggage. "We'll leave you behind if you don't move!"

Hime, along with flandre, was already aboard the ship, regarding her own baggage with a vigilant eye as she stood at the edge railing of the ship. Amongst her innumerable amount of suitcases was a foreboding coffin, which, in all candidness, disturbed the passing guests that were occupying that particular area.

"Honestly," Reiri sighed in protest, shifting uncomfortably in her humble funerary box. "Did they not read the 'fragile' label on this casket?"

Soon, the men that were grudgingly carrying the coffin up the stairs mercilessly tossed it beside the other passengers' luggage.

"Fuga."

"Yes, Flandre, that must have indeed been painful," Hime remarked with one last look at the casket before returning a shrewd gaze to her own luggage.

"Hey, be careful with that!" Sherwood reprimanded the workers that were unfortunate enough to be in charge of her belongings. She sighed in exasperation, but with one look at her beloved sister's blood warrior, she was content once again.

"Hiro, come on up, you shouldn't make royalty wait~!" she exclaimed seductively.

"C-coming!" Hiro shouted in response, climbing the stairs to the ship with his own bags, which were only two.

_Ah, that's right, _Hiro recalled, contemplating the enormous cruise ship as he embarked it, the stairs being removed as he reached the entrance in order to set sail. _It's because of Sherwood-hime that we're here…_

**~ Flashback Beginning~**

"So, what exactly brings you here, Sherwood?" Hime questioned her little sister.

"My, Onee-sama, as prying as always, I see," the little princess commented. "Do I really need to have some business ready in order to visit you?"

"If it's not business, then state your purpose," Hime continued cooly.

"Well," Sherwood resumed, unperturbed, "it's this." And Francesca, who'd been standing by her side the entire time, placed a letter in the small princess's patient, open hand.

"What is that?"

"It's a catalog with a formal invitation attached to it!" Sherwood informed. "It seems that I've somehow won a trip to a resort island for three days! It's all paid-out, so there's nothing to worry about. Transportation will be by a luxurious cruise ship, it says. But…"

"But…?" Hime incited for her sister to continue.

"But"—she cleared her throat demurely and blushed a bit—"I need to be accompanied by an adult, in order to go."

Hime smirked.

"W-what's with that knowing smile!?" Sherwood cried, flustered. "Onee-sama, the only reason I've come to you is because you _resemble _an adult. But you're not really old enough to be one!"

"Well, Hime _does _have that mature air to her," Hiro commented, having been standing by the wall the entire time, along with Riza.

Sherwood appeared to be absolutely horrified. "Hi-Hiro… you prefer older women?"

"Eh? N-no, I never said that!"

Sherwood turned to her sister with tears of frustration at the corners of her eyes.

_Though my sister is my rival, I… _She cleared her throat and regained her composure. "At any rate, I've come to formally request a favor of you, Onee-sama."

"Yes, do go on," Hime urged, amused.

"Please accompany me on the trip to this resort island, and in return, I promise not to make this short voyage a disappointing one," Sherwood proposed.

Hime chuckled and stood to walk over to Sherwood. Once she reached the small princess, she stuck out her hand. "Then I accept this proposal of yours, Sherwood."

Sherwood smiled widely and took her big sister's hand for a grateful shake.

**~ Flashback Ending ~ **

_It's strange how Hime agreed to go on this trip on such short notice_, Hiro thought, following behind Hime and the rest of the gang to the dorms, since the trip to the island would require an overnight stay in the ship. _I feel bad for leaving Onee-sama behind, but she said that someone needed to take care of the house so…_

"Whoa, no wonder they call this a luxurious boat!" Riza exclaimed in awe as she slammed open the door to her temporary room. Small, but cozy.

"Not only a beast, but a primitive one at that, I see," Reiri remarked wryly.

"Heh!?" Riza whipped around to encounter an unpleasant surprise. She frowned disdainfully. "Reiri, when did _you _get here?"

"I can't stay in that coffin for the whole entire trip, you know," Reiri explained.

"It'd be nice if you did," Riza muttered to herself.

"What was that?" Reiri snapped.

"Cease that bickering, you two," Hime reproached. "If as a couple you will argue, then as a couple you shall sleep. You two will take this room."

"WHAT!?" Riza shouted.

"I have to room with this dog?" Reiri spouted, appalled. "I think I'd rather go back to my coffin, if you don't mind, Hime-sama."

"It's not that I particularly mind it, but your casket is currently stored at a restricted area, along with the rest of the passengers' luggage," Hime informed. "In other words, you can't access it."

"Ah, yes, Reiri-san and Ryuu Ryuu-san were in a shortage of tickets, so they had to sneak in," Hiro recalled.

"Fuga."

"Yes, it is just as Flandre says," Hime agreed with a nod. "The two can't freely walk around the cruise due to the probable chance of being caught. Of course, I'm not as concerned for you, Reiri, since I'm sure you can take care of yourself?" Hime finished with rising intonation, to grant Reiri the benefit of the doubt.

"Certainly, Hime-sama," Reiri assured with a curtsy. "I'm honored that you regard me with praiseful eyes."

"Good," Hime concluded. "Then, Hiro, please escort me to my room. If you manage to find Sherwood, send her to my room, as well. She will be staying with me."

"Ah, of course, Hime," Hiro complied, and promptly followed after her, soon catching up to walk right beside her.

"Hmm, there's something about this room…" Reiri mused. "It gives off a strange aura."

Reiri turned to find Riza approaching the lower bed, already set to put her stuff on it.

"That's my bunk, bitch."

- - -

Having safely guided and dislodged Hime at her room, Hiro sighed in exhaustion and alleviation. His muscles told him that he needed some rest, but his famished stomach begged to differ. As he lied on the bed of his lone, single room, he turned his head to the side to check the time on the wall's clock.

7:00 p.m.

He recalled hearing a voice through the ship's intercom announcing that the dinner buffet would be served to all passengers at 8 p.m. in the main hall. In his fatigue, he realized that he had no idea of where the main hall was, so he rose from his bed, leaving his bags behind, and exited his room. He figured that, if he had an hour before dinner, he might as well search for the place.

After roving for a few minutes or so, Hiro encountered a crying, young girl.

"Waaaaan!!" she wailed, wiping her eyes fervently.

Hiro ran to her aid. "What's wrong? Are you lost?"

The girl sniffed and turned to face Hiro with a tearstained countenance. She nodded.

"Do you want me to help you find your parents?" Hiro offered.

The girl smiled and her eyes widened in joy. "Onii-chan will help me?"

"Mn-hmn," Hiro reassured.

"Eh-heh," she laughed, and then ran off ahead of him, down the long hallway.

"H-hey, wait up for Onii-chan!" Hiro called, and followed after her.

- - -

"Ah, this is such a wonderful cruise," Reiri sighed in delight. "And yet, I'm rooming with the dog."

"Shut up, Reiri," Riza snapped. "No one asked you."

Reiri rose from her bed.

"Well, at any rate, I'll be leaving on my nightly stroll now," Reiri announced, opening the door to the room a crack.

"Ah, yeah, sure," Riza acknowledged absent-mindedly, now distracted by her portable video game device.

Reiri didn't pay it much heed and promptly left.

The vampire sauntered freely amongst the other wealthy guests, fitting right in with them due to the unsuspecting elegance her presence radiated. While ambling between the crowds, a beautiful gentry girl caught her watchful eye. Just as she was about to approach her, a teenage boy discerned himself from the large assembly of people and wrapped his arms around her waist before planting a tender kiss upon her lips.

Reiri turned and sighed in disappointment. With the way he had kissed her, there was no chance for her to be a virgin. Where was Reiri to find an evening meal now?

Reiri made her way back to the dorms. Her feet gradually grew heavy, though. And her pace was slowing.

_Well, this is strange, _Reiri thought. _All of a sudden, I'm feeling tired. _

She stretched a bit in an attempt to pull it off. _Hmm, that pressuring sensation is still there. It must be because I haven't drunk some blood in a while yet._

Reiri decided that she would ignore the feeling of gravity pushing her against the corridor floor.

- - -

"How are you feeling, Sherwood?" Hime questioned, sitting straight on her bed and reading a book. Every now and then glancing at her sister, who was glued to their private restroom's toilet.

"Ugh…," Sherwood groaned, looming over the toilet limply.

Hime chuckled. "I never thought you'd be one to suffer from motion sickness, Sherwood."

"I'm not," the sick princess responded. "I do just fine on a plane. And it's not like I've never been on a cruise. So maybe it has something to do with whatever it is that I ate."

"Have you eaten anything suspicious today?" Hime asked.

"Not really. Just what Francesca usually feeds me," she recalled.

Ryuu Ryuu made an undistinguishable noise.

"Shut up, Ryuu Ryuu." Sherwood dogmatized," There's no way Francesca would have tried to poison me."

At that statement, Francesca, who had been tending to her mistress the entire time, stood up and bowed countless, apologetic times.

"Don't worry, Francesca," Sherwood assured. "I'm sure it must have been something else."

"Fuga."

"What is it, Flandre?" Hime responded, turning a page of her book.

"Fuga."

"You're in trouble?"

"Fuga."

"You want me to turn around?"

"Fuga."

"Where are your manners, Flandre? Where's your 'please'?"

"…. Fuga."

"Well, then, now I shall."

When Hime pivoted completely, she didn't find Flandre at any corner of the room. "Show yourself, Flandre. I'm not very fond of these types of jokes."

"Fuga."

"Up?"

So, Hime raised her chin and her eyes found the ceiling. And there was Flandre.

"Flandre, please refrain from playing on the ceiling."

"Onee-sama, I doubt she's doing that on purpose," Sherwood voiced from the bathroom.

"Of course," Hime began to say. "Someone as heavy as Flandre shouldn't be able to float all the way up there."

"I wonder…," Hime mused, rising from her bed, scrutinizing her gynoid from a distance.

At that moment, Riza slammed the door to the two young royals' room open without restraint. She began to mouth inaudible words with a wild look on her face, clearly shaken.

"Wha…. What's going on out there?" Sherwood asked from the restroom, now suffering from a sharp headache.

"Revetahw era uoy gnitpmetta ot yas, Azir," Hime articulated, then promptly stopped.

Riza scowled and shrugged to indicate incomprehension. She pointed to her throat and mimicked the act of speaking. Nothing came out of her mouth, though.

"Ti sraeppa sa hguoht uoy evah tsol ruoy eciov, Azir," Hime cryptically continued. "Dna Ym eugont smees ot eb elbanu ot etaerc tnerehoc secnetnes, sa llew."

Riza stomped on the floor angrily and searched for pen and paper. She found the cruise's meal menu, grabbed it, transformed her right hand into wolf form, and scribbled-scratched on the menu the following message:

"_What the heck is going on, Hime? I can't speak!" _

Hime did not posses a mighty paw with enough pressure to write on a plastic menu, so she resorted to calmly sauntering over to one of her bags and fumbling for a piece of paper and a writing utensil. As soon as she found some, she wrote the following message:

"_You are not the only one, Riza. It seems that I can no longer speak Japanese."_

Riza responded on her plastic menu:

"_No kidding."_

Hime searched beyond Riza's shoulder with her eyes and then wrote down the following:

"_Where's Reiri?"_

Riza rolled her eyes and scribbled on the plastic.

"_I'm not her watchdog. And besides, I thought you said she could take care of herself."_

Hime sighed.

"_She could be going through something of the same nature as us at this very moment."_

Riza side-glanced at the floating Flandre and she clicked her tongue in a nasty "Tch!"

"_Fine. I'll look for her."_

"_I'm coming, too. I will search for Hiro."_

"_Do what you want."_

Before leaving, though, Hime thought it necessary to take precautions and tie Flandre close to the part of the ceiling she was floating by, in order to keep her from floating away somewhere else or, by some odd turn, fall to the floor. It's not that the gynoid would get hurt, but the floor would indeed receive the slam of its life.

With the tying taken care of, Hime and Riza, each holding a sketchbook and a pencil now, set out of the room to look for the missing people of their faction. Francesca stayed with the ill Sherwood, as well as Ryuu Ryuu, and Flandre wasn't able to descend from the ceiling no matter how much she tried, so she had to stay.

- - -

"Where did that little girl go?" Hiro wondered in solace, having straggled from the child.

He heard laughter far off in the distance. It resembled the little girl's, so he quickly followed after it. Once he arrived at what he thought to be the place where the sound originated from, he found himself to be at a kitchen after entering a room.

"What…?" Hiro shut the door behind him and scrutinized the empty scullery. "That's weird, I'm sure I heard something…"

He perceived the metallic rattling noise that was beginning to rapidly grow behind him. When he turned around, it was already too late—a huge, sharp nice pierced through his body.

That was the odd fact, though. It pierced right _through _him. It didn't hurt injure him the slightest bit.

_I thought, for sure, I was dead, _Hiro thought in disbelief before collapsing to his knees. _I really should get used to this dying thing, though. How many times has it been already…?_

Hiro gulped and forced himself to pivot a complete ninety degrees in order to see in more detail what exactly caused his near-death experience.

The knife firmly hung on the kitchen's iron wall.

Hiro's eyes dilated when he felt six more knives fly right through him and land on that same wall alongside the first knife.

"W-what's going!?" Hiro hurriedly crawled to another corner of the room.

The room's metallic stock, pots, pans, spoons, forks, etc., were beginning to coalesce into one, joint ball in the air. Hiro braced himself for what would be the most painful hit of his life, but just right as the ball was beginning to launch towards him as a meteorite would towards the earth, Hime appeared before him and countered the ball to the other side of the room with her folded sketchbook. She grabbed Hiro's arm and ran out the other door of the kitchen.

"Hime, thanks so much for saving me!" Hiro gratefully exclaimed, bowing countless times before his master.

"Uoy yam pots, Orih," Hime said. "Ew evah rehto sgniht ot yrrow tuoba ta eht tnemom."

"…. Eh?" Hiro tried his best in attempting to decipher what Hime had just said.

Riza wrote something down on her sketchbook and showed it to Hiro.

"_We'll explain later. Right now, we've got to find Reiri."_

- - -

8:00 p.m.

Reiri was locked in the janitor's closet.

She had found no other option but to resort to that in order to avoid passengers from seeing her at her current state. It was not a very good one. A few minutes ago, she had been feeling an off pressure pushing her down and causing her to feel heavy, but she never thought that it would turn into something so serious that she would begin to hyperventilate. Since she had no tickets to show that she was indeed a guest at the cruise, she had to resort to hiding.

_At first I thought it had something to do with me not drinking blood, _Reiri mused. _But not having a drink has never incited for something such as this to occur, so it has to be something else._

While in the closet, she had heard a multiple amount of steps, but the ones that were approaching her now were familiar ones.

_Don't I know these steps...?_

"Hime…-sama?" Reiri weakly called out from the closet.

"Irier?" Hime echoed in response, searching for the root of the sound.

"Sorry, wrong person," a muffled reply emanated from the closet apologetically.

"Reiri-san? No, no, it _is _us!" Hiro confirmed.

"Hiro…?" Reiri painstakingly raised her head in the dark closet.

Riza's ears perked up, she got down on all fours, and tracked down Reiri's smell and voice. When she found the source of both, she rose from her police dog position and pointed to the janitor's closet.

Hiro ran to where Riza was pointing and opened the door. "Reiri-san! Are you alright? What are you doing here!?"

Reiri placed her index finger atop Hiro's lips to silence him.

"Shh, Hiro," Reiri cautioned huskily before winking at him. "We don't want the hall monitors to find me now, do we?"

Hiro shook his head vigorously.

"Good…" Reiri forced a smile for the young warrior, but even she was not strong enough to hold it. "Ugh…"

Hiro continued, more quietly now, "Reiri-san, do you need help getting up?"

"I-if it's not too much trouble, Hiro," Reiri humbly replied.

Hiro stretched out a hand towards Reiri, but just as she was about to take it, her hand went right through Hiro's.

"Oh, no…" Hiro blasted. "Not again…"

Reiri couldn't hold her hand up any longer and her entire body collapsed on the janitor floor.

Hime glanced at Riza, who happened to catch her look, and then nodded towards the vampire girl. Riza frowned but obeyed Hime's unspoken order.

Riza pushed Hiro out of the way and entered the closet, she showed her back to Reiri and squatted, holding her sketchbook to the side for her to read.

_"Here, get on."_

"I'd rather not," Reiri declined.

_"Hey, you can barely walk, and if we stay here any longer, we're going to get caught. So drop that snotty attitude and get on!"_ Riza demanded.

Reiri reluctantly resigned, limply rose, and slowly climbed onto the girl's back. She wrapped her arms along the girl's neck and immediately wore a scowl.

Riza, along with her inhuman strength, stood and held Reri firmly by the rear. She walked out of the closet and, as she did, she didn't fail to notice that Reiri had somewhat grown laden. And the pressure continued to increase.

_Is this pressure what's making her so weak? _Riza wondered.

Reiri grew unexpectedly comfortable and dug her face into the werewolf's contrastingly soft back.

Hime signaled for the gang to follow her, and they did. They all soon arrived at the princesses' room. Riza laid Reiri on Hime's bed and sat by her, while Hime grabbed a chair close to a desk and Hiro leaned on the wall. Sherwood wanted to welcome them, but her condition had only worsened since they left, and she was still glued to the bathroom toilet along with her faithful maid Francesca. Ryuu Ryuu had fallen asleep in the midst of it all, and no one seemed to have noticed that poor Flandre was still floating by the ceiling, tied to it even.

Hime pulled out her sketchbook and wrote down the following:

"_I suppose everyone's wondering what's going on."_

All nodded.

"_Yes, I, as well," _Hime continued in her sketchbook.

Everyone face-palmed in their minds.

"_Hiro," _Hime called to attention. _"What happened back at the janitor's place?"_

Hiro's face instantly became solemn and he began, "I'm not sure. For some reason, I couldn't touch Reiri-san. My hand went right through hers, almost as if I were a ghost. Come to think of it…"

"_Come to think of it… what?" _Riza joined in.

"Before Hime rescued me at that kitchen, a knife flew past my body without hurting me," Hiro explained. "What's weirder, though, is that the knife moved all by itself. The stuff that followed moved by itself, too! Hime… is this ship haunted?"

"_Don't go off assuming nonsense, Hiro," _Hime responded. "_Besides, if that were the case, wouldn't it be you who is the ghost?" _

Hiro strolled over to Ryuu Ryuu in a desperate attempt to touch him, something to remind him that he's still human. His hand went right through the panda when he tried to pet him, though.

"No… no…What's happened to me!?" Hiro cried.

"Calm yourself, Hiro," Sherwood ordered doggedly, dragging herself weakly out of the bathroom with Francesca's help. "It's not just you, but all of us."

"What do you mean, Sherwood-hime?" Hiro asked.

"Have you honestly not yet questioned why my sister and that werewolf are speaking through pieces of paper?" Sherwood continued, pressing her stomach to lessen the sick feeling that was threatening to return.

Hiro turned back to Hime and Riza, and finally noticed the sketchbooks they carried with them. He had noticed them before, after Hime saved him, but when they went to look for Reiri, he completely forgot about their condition because he was too focused on his own misfortunes.

Hiro slumped his shoulders and his head dropped in shame. "I'm sorry, everyone…"

"Hiro… Have you ever heard of Karma?" Sherwood queried.

"Um, yes," Hiro recalled. "'What goes around comes around,' right?"

"Exactly," Sherwood concurred. "So… supernatural beings, such as ourselves, attract supernatural occurrences." Sherwood coughed and then turned to her older sister. "Isn't that right, Onee-sama?"

"_Correct. As Riza and I searched for Hiro in the cruise, I noticed one of the screen panels that showed us the course of navigation. When I saw three familiar islands, I realized, with as much certainty as can be given, that we were sailing through the Bermuda Triangle."_

"_No way…." _Riza exclaimed.

"Y-you mean… _The _Bermuda Triangle?" Hiro repeated, desperately clinging to the hope that he might have heard incorrectly.

"_Are there any others?" _

And that confirmed it.

Hiro gulped. "But… vehicles that go through the Bermuda Triangle almost never return…"

"And we are no exception," Sherwood added. "We run the same risk of never seeing land again."

"Hime-sama, if I may join you, I'd like to have a say," Reiri suddenly piped up, grudgingly coming to a sitting position.

"_You shouldn't force yourself," _Riza said_. "You'll break the bed."_

"Well, thanks for you concern…. for the bed," Reiri finished, and then turned to Sherwood. "Anyhow, following your theory of the Karma. Are you trying to say that we are the only ones being affected by all this?"

"You're a keen one, are you not? Well, I'd expect no less from a vampire," Sherwood commented. "You see, as I was puking, I had some time to think."

_Yeah, no kidding, _Riza thought.

"If the theory of Karma is correct, then none of the normal humans in this ship should be experiencing any abnormalities from themselves or their surroundings. Their "average" energy brings about only "average" situations. We, as supernatural beings, attract supernatural situations to ourselves. By being in the Bermuda Triangle, we are, in a way, incredibly "boosting up" our supernatural energy and therefore triggering much paranormal activity around ourselves."

"Well, that makes sense," Reiri agreed. "Does that mean that each and every one of us is experiencing some abnormal condition at the moment?"

"If what Sherwood-hime said is right, then I guess so," Hiro said. "I mean, I can pretty much walk through walls now…"

Hime pulled out her sketchbook and scribbled:

"_Hiro, your molecules are disintegrating, that is what allows you to pass through anything. If this continues, though, you will disappear. Slowly, but surely."_

"…Huh?" Hiro once again feared for his life. "B-but you'll be able to revive me, right, Hime?"

"_If there's no body, my blood won't have any vessel to feed. So once you disappear, you are a dead man," _Hime revealed laconically.

_She says it so bluntly, _Hiro thought in dismay with a waterfall of tears streaming down his face.

"Oh, I know I should have asked before but… What is Riza-san suffering from? The same thing as Hime?" Hiro queried.

"No, she is mute," Sherwood dropped in.

"Oh… Riza-san… this must be very hard on you…" Hiro sympathized.

"Ara, whatever do you mean, Hiro?" Reiri said sarcastically. "I think I quite like this new Riza better."

"_Do us a favor and shut up, Reiri," _Riza furiously communicated.

"My, so you actually know how to spell?" Reiri laughed. "That's quite the surpise…—ugh."

"Re-Reiri-san!?"

Hiro ran to Reiri's aid. "Are you all right, Reiri-san?"

"I-I'm fine, Hiro," Reiri assured, lying back down on the bed. "I think I've figured out what's wrong with me—it's the gravity. It's pulling down on me quite forcefully, and the pressure keeps growing."

"_If this continues," _Hime resumed, _"The gravity pressure will increase so much to the point that it will push Reiri through floors and out of the bottom of the cruise. She will drown to death before she even reaches the seafloor, though. And the hole she leaves on this ship will cause the cruise to sink. Either way, it's just a matter of time."_

Reiri smiled weakly. "Why, I never thought I'd meet my end in such a way. Oh, well, I suppose a Titanic ending doesn't sound so bad."

"_I won't let that happen," _Riza assured the vampire girl.

Reiri suddenly felt an unfamiliar heat shroud her cheeks.

"_I have my brother's death to avenge, so there's no way I'm just going to accept dying here," _Riza declared.

"So you hold onto that pride," Reiri breathed, closing her eyes and turning away from Riza. She didn't want the werewolf to see her at her most vulnerable.

"But… I don't see anything wrong with Ryuu Ryuu or Francesca," Hiro commented.

Ryuu Ryuu was sleeping soundly by the side of the room and Francesca was still acting as a support for Sherwood, who was trying her best to remain standing.

"Is that what it looks like?" Sherwood smirked. She had Francesca walk her over to Hiro and, once she was there, Sherwood took his hand to place it on Francesca's chest.

Hiro immediately snapped his hand from where Sherwood had placed it. "W-w-what are y-you doing, Sherwood-hime!?"

"Come now, Hiro, don't be embarrassed," she said, and took a hold of Hiro's hand once again to put on Francesca's chest. "Do you feel the pulsations…. of Francesca's heart?"

"… Yes."

"Gynoids are robots. They are not truly alive. They are not supposed to possess a beating heart."

"W-what does this mean, Sherwood-hime?" Hiro queried.

Sherwood chuckled faintly. "Francesca has become a… human."

Riza's sign read: _"Eeeeeeehh!??!"_

"In this paranormal realm we're currently within, it's very likely that Francesca will age and die in a matter of hours," Sherwood explicated. "This place is most likely to exaggerate the clock on a human's lifetime, making it shorter than it should be."

Hiro glanced at Ryuu Ryuu, still resting on the side of the room. "Ryuu Ryuu-san seems fine, though."

"Everyone appears to be so peaceful when they're in a comma, is that not right, Hiro?" Sherwood hinted.

"Comma!?" Hiro. "So Ryuu Ryuu-san is in a comma!? B-but people recover from those!"

"With treatment, yes," Sherwood agreed. "But this is not a hospital. We have no way to feed Ryuu Ryuu or take care of his needs while he's asleep. He'll die either due to starvation or dehydration…"

"_As I've said before, it's all just a matter of time," _Hime repeated.

"Then…. Then what are we supposed to do, Hime!?"

"_What is there _to _do, Hiro?" _Hime echoed.

"_Oi, Hime, are you actually just going to let us die here?" _Riza questioned angrily. _"I know you've got to have some sort of plan."_

"_Of course, there's always a way to escape troublesome situations, but this one is not under our control," _Hime explained.

"_Then I'll take it under our control! Tell me what it is," _Riza demanded.

"_Simply put, it's all up to how long it takes the cruise captain to sail us off the Bermuda Triangle and into our intended destination. At the pace we're going, though, it appears we won't make it in time."_

"_Then it's done! All we have to do is tell the captain to go faster and problem solved!" _Riza concluded.

"_If only it were that simple. What are we to say? That we are experiencing abnormalities within ourselves and it's due to the Bermuda Triangle?" _Hime continued. _"If we do that, and the other passengers are completely fine, we'll be discovered. Reiri and Ryuu Ryuu, who've sneaked in, will not be able to hide if we're searched."_

"Puah!" Sherwood gagged, the nauseating feeling having returned to her being. "I'm going back to the restroom…. Ugh…"

With that, the ill princess ran to the toilet and locked herself in. A series of disturbing noises and flushes followed in sequence.

"So, if nothing is done, Sherwood-hime will grow even sicker?"

"_Apparently so," _Hime opinioned.

"_Then what are we standing around here for? Let's go to that Captain guy and tell him to hurry up!" _Riza urged. _"If we're careful, we won't be discovered."_

"_No, Riza, you must stay here and watch Reiri," _Hime ordered. _"If gravity begins to pull her down with a stronger grip, then you must prevent her from breaking through the floor."_

Riza released an inaudible "Tch!" in complaint, but complied with Hime's request.

"_Hiro, hurry, you're coming with me," _Hime wrote out in her sketchbook, subsequently dashing out of the room with Hiro at her heels.

"…. Fuga…"

_Oh, they forgot Flandre, _Riza thought.

- - -

8:30 p.m.

Hiro and Hime hurried down the lengthy halls, searching for a stairway that would lead them to the second floor, since they were currently stationed at the first.

"The Captain should be on the fourth floor, the one that is inaccessible to all guests," Hiro informed, taking out a booklet that depicted a map of the ship.

Hime had now grown used to writing out messages on her sketchbook at a fast rate. _"The halls are empty. Where do you suppose al the guests have gone, Hiro?"_

"Well, I'm guessing the main hall, where they're serving the dinner buffet," Hiro said, his stomach supporting him with a loud growl.

Hime stopped in front of a rectangular hollow. She climbed the steps that led to the second floor.

"W-wait up, Hime!" Hiro called, scurrying up after her.

Once Hiro caught up to Hime, he found her standing with her arms folded, her eyes sharp and lips curved in that familiar grin of hers. Hiro followed the princess's gaze and was petrified by the sight that awaited the acknowledgment of his eyes. A red carpet, the same that adorned every corridor floor, was lifting itself in a spiral, taking the rough figure of a snake.

"Hi-Hime, wh-what is that…?" Hiro trailed off in fear.

"_I can't rightly say… though it's probable that it's just one of this phenomenon's manifestations," _Hime inferred.

The creature hissed menacingly and launched at Hime. The princess's valiant blood warrior ran to her rescue and stood in front of her to heroically block the hit, being inflicted in her stead. Hiro was slapped against the wall and his breathing grew heavy.

"Hi…. Hime, are you okay?" Hiro inquired, his arm surrounded by the healing mist that the royal blood granted him.

Hime, a bit surprised, assured him, "_Yes, Hiro, I am fine. Though you really didn't have to cover me, since the creature's aim was off-range. It would have never hit me._"

Hiro face-palmed. _Ugh… Well, this is embarrassing…_

The snake-like being stuck out its tail and swung it in Hime's direction. The sharp princess quickly dodged the attack and grabbed a hold of the tail.

_It may be mobile, but it's still nothing but a carpet_, Hime thought.

She handed the wildly swinging tail to Hiro, and her eyes told him everything he needed to know. "_Hold that_."

The blood warrior got a good grip on the carpet tail and ran back to the end of the hallway. With that part of the snake's figure taken care of, Hime would only have to deal with the head. The top part of the carpet slashed at Hime, but she managed to evade the attack.

Hime tightly placed the sketchbook between her hands and swiftly moved to counter attack the snake's side. The snake recoiled, having had its side ripped. Hime didn't allow it any time to recover and came on even stronger on it. She ripped many of the pages out of the sketchbook and sent them flying towards the snakes like Frisbees, except that these didn't return. The hard papers probed cuts into the snake's figure, and the carpet began to fall apart, thread-by-thread.

The creature hissed one last cry before fully dispersing into shreds.

Hime ambled to where the creature's remains lay, and there she picked up the sketchbook she had dropped amidst the combat.

She wrote in it again.

"_Come, Hiro, two more floors."_

- - -

Riza sighed in weariness. She tapped her head on the wall she was leaning against and turned to check on Reiri, whose figure she allowed her eyes to rest upon for a small while. She heaved another sigh and wrote down the following message:

"_How're you holding up?"_

Reiri made the effort to lift her head, read it, and respond:

"Well, sparing the fact that I feel as though my organs are turning into 30-pound sacks and I'm about ready to break this bed, yes, I'm fine."

"_Good to hear."_

"… Ugh."

As much as she would have wanted to disregard Reiri, Riza knew that if she didn't delay the progress of Reiri's gravity, then doom was surely upon everyone on the boat.

Suddenly, she was struck by an epiphany.

"_Oi, Sherwood!"_ she wrote down hastily, running to the bathroom door and slipping the note below her door.

"Bwuah… what is it?" Sherwood replied nauseatingly from the other side of the door.

"_Since you said that as supernatural beings we attract supernatural situations, doesn't that mean that if we join the average beings, their average energy will overpower ours and we'll be surrounded by average situations?"_

"… Well, if the theory is correct, what you say might be true," Sherwood contemplated. "However, our abnormal energy won't be completely diminished, it will only be temporarily subdued by the overwhelming number of average energy. If you're planning to delay that vampire's growing gravity, then joining the rest of the average guests down at the main hall is your best bet, if not the only one."

"_Then I'll take my chances."_

With that said, Riza retired from the door and ran towards Reiri. She tried lifting the vampire's arm up so she could drape it over her neck, but it was astonishingly heavy. Riza felt a pang of guilt. She was complaining about having to stay and watch over her mortal enemy, while the girl in question herself was coursing through so much agony and still capable of making witty remarks. Riza stretched, breathed in a deep amount of air, and hauled the vampire onto her back.

_Crack!_

_Oh… my…. back…_

_Shit. _

- - -

Hime and Hiro climbed the stairs that led onto the next floor, the one that preceded the last one, where only authorized personnel, such as ship captains, were allowed.

"Just a little more, Hime!"

"_Let's hurry."_

As they closed the distance between themselves and the next flight of stairs, though, Hime abruptly stopped, resulting in Hiro's sudden compact with her back.

As Hiro rubbed his head, he asked, "Wh-what's wrong, Hime?"

The gothic princess pointed to the cruise walls that enveloped them. They were closing in on the two.

"The walls are coming together! We're gong to get crushed!"

"_Hiro, read this carefully, at the rate in which these are uniting, it's rather improbable that I'll make to the end of the hall in time to catch the stairs without coming into contact with these walls. For you, though, whose molecules are disintegrating, it is possible to accomplish this, since you've become practically a ghost. Hiro, you must go and direct this cruise into the right direction before it's too late."_

_Hime writes fast, _Hiro thought, but immediately returned to the matter at hand. "I… I… Yes, I will be sure to sail this ship to safety, Hime!"

Hime nodded, as callous as ever, and ran past Hiro to track back the path from which she came from.

Hiro ran as fast as he could in order to avoid having to come into contact with the moving walls. His luck emptied out, though, just as he was about to reach the end of the hallway. The walls pressed against one another, and Hiro thought himself a dead man. When he squeezed an eye open, though, he felt himself perfectly fine, and noticed that he was in between the closed walls, but not inflicted. Hime was right. Now, he had to hurry upstairs, onto the last floor.

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the little, crying child that had lost her parents by the stairs.

_How did she get all the way over there? _Hiro wondered in shock.

The girl beckoned for him to cross over to her side.

"Come, Onii-chan, I'll guide you to the last level!"

- - -

Riza was huffing in exhaustion, taking excruciatingly heavy steps all the way down the hallway to take herself and Reiri to where the average people's presence overflowed with average energy.

"Hey, you two over there, stop!" an unidentified individual commanded.

"Oh, crap, it's back to the closet again," Riza cursed, and dashed to the janitor's room, where Reiri was previously hiding.

She dropped Reiri carelessly, opened the door, and then comically dragged her rock heavy body into the closet, shutting the door as fast and quietly as she could. The hall monitor ran by them undetected. Riza groaned in relief.

"Huh, wait a second, I can talk now!" Riza noted.

She turned to Reiri, who was passed out due to the dropping.

"And she's not as heavy as before," she commented. "That means we must be close to the guests. Just a little more…"

And she trudged out of the closet, along with Reiri, to resume the journey to the main hall.

- - -

"What are you doing here?" Hiro inquired, chasing after the girl.

The girl glanced back, to make sure that Hiro was following, and flashed him a smile before she returned to track. Hiro resolved on not losing her this time, and tried his best to keep up.

When the two finally reached the top floor, which was really only a room, they opened and shut the door that divided the stairs and the chamber. Hiro gasped continuously in order to catch his breath, but during this action, he lost sight of the girl that had guided her here in the first place.

_But how? Does this room have any other exits? _Hiro wondered, astounded.

Then again, the small kid could be playing hide and seek, and being tiny enough to fit into any limited spaces, it wouldn't be surprising if she were never detected. Hiro shook the issue from his head and settled again on his mission—to make this boat sail faster into the promised destination and away from the Bermuda Triangle.

He headed for the Captain's seat, which was surrounded with many intricate systems to work the ship. He turned the big seat that belonged to the captain, seeing the white chapeau that stuck out the top, but when he did, the unconscious Captain dropped to the floor, twitching.

_W-what…!?_

"C-captain, sir?!" Hiro sputtered out, alarmed. "W-what happened, sir? Please, wake up!"

_Otherwise, who's going to sail this ship? _Hiro questioned in panic.

"I… I must do it," Hiro said to himself, determined.

He rose, leaving the captain unattended on the floor, and ran to where the navigating systems where. Hiro was overwhelmed by the various flashing lights and numerous colored buttons, each bound to perform a different function. He was worried that he'd press the wrong one and mess up.

Well, so be it.

He placed his faith on luck and took a chance. He flew his hand to the button that appeared to control speed, but it went right through it. His eyes widened in incredulity, but he attempted the action again. After another failure, he performed the same action several, desperate times, but it was of no use. He had become completely transparent.

He fell to his knees, but they began to sink through the floor, for he was no longer capable of touching anything.

Right then, the little girl presented herself before him again.

"Please…," he pleaded, wearily. "Please, make this ship go faster. Press… that … button…"

And he slipped through and out of the captain's chamber, soon wallowing within unconsciousness.

- - -

"Hiro… Hiro, wake up…"

He heard a voice calling to him, but it seemed so distant.

"Let me take care of this, Hime," another voice reassured.

The owner of the voice grabbed the meek warrior by the shoulders and shook him so violently it was almost as if he was being shaken by an earthquake.

"WAKE YOUR ASS UP, HIRO!"

"Uwah!!" Hiro shouted, startled. "W-what was that for, Riza-san?"

He scanned the room in which he was in, and it was Hime's. At least, the one the ship had provided for her. Everyone, including Francesca and Ryuu Ryuu, were watching him, encircling him.

Reiri once again flashed that sly motion of the lips she had for a smile. "Ara, Hiro, shouldn't it be us questioning you? After all, we found you at the Ladies restroom."

"Hi-Hiro, I never thought you had those kind of hobbies," Sherwood cried in dismay. "B-but if invading those sort of places please you, then I suppose I can accept—"

"N-NO! I wasn't there because I wanted to! Besides… why _was _I there? What happened? I mean, everyone seems to be back to normal."

"Ah, well, I'm not sure," Riza shrugged. "All I know is that we're finally out of the Bermuda Triangle, and very close to arriving to that resort island."

"Yes, the captain apologized for the delay," Hime informed. "He apparently had an epileptic attack while his partner, the other captain, was out for a break. Congratulations, though, Hiro, it seems you managed to make it in time to save everyone on the boat."

Hiro gazed down at the white sheets that he was sitting on. "I… I didn't do anything… It wasn't me who saved everyone."

Hime raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "If not you, then who?"

"This little girl," Hiro explicated. "Just as I was sinking through the floor, she appeared. And I begged her to please find a way to speed the ship up. I guess she did."

"Average energy attracts average situations, could it be that that might have been the reason for that girl to have been able to cross the hallways Hime and Hiro struggled to pass?" Reiri suggested.

"How could a little girl, alone, be able to do that? You'd need an incredible amount of average energy in order to do that though," Sherwood mused.

"Maybe she was a big simpleton?" Riza offered.

"Or a total nobody," Reiri said wryly.

"Let the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle remain so," Hime concluded. "We should attend breakfast. It's already 8:00 a.m."

"Yeah, I'm starving!"

"How unsightly for a girl to say that!"

"Quit your nagging, Reiri. I bet you'll be the one wolfing down on the food once we get there."

"Reiri-san, Riza-san, please, don't argue so early in the morning!"

"Quiet, Hiro, we saved your butt. Hadn't it been for us going into the Ladies restroom before anyone else had the chance to, you would have been labeled a pervert!"

"Hiro, that is a title a warrior of the royalty should never obtain."

"Like I said, IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT~!

"Hiro, don't you dare do ecchi things with Onee-sama! If you wish to, t-then please take me ins—"

"Wuagh!!!!!!!"

The gang continued to chatter until their voices were mere echoes that faded with the distance. They had felt as if they'd forgotten something, but they decided they would remember once they'd eaten, and promptly dismissed the feeling.

"…..Fuga."

xxxxxxxx

First of all, everyone, I am SO SORRY for neglecting this story. I hope you'll forgive me...

Second of all, there's a new story that will soon be making its entrance into the the Princess Resurrection section! The title will be "Sibling Wars: The Reflection of Peace," and its author will be WildNaru. If you're going to want more insight into my story, then I'd recommend you read that one, as well. Let's just say that my story and his story are going to be closely related...

And lastly, I'll try not to take too long writing the next chapter. It would really help me if you guys reviewed (:3). It gives me the will to go on. Thank you, everyone, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter (and its length)!

P.S: Kudos to the person that figures out what Hime's saying when she can't speak coherently. ;D


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